Valentino Sponsors Venice Theater Biennale

MILAN — Pierpaolo Piccioli continues to pay tribute to Italy’s cultural scene.

After staging his fall 2021 show for Valentino at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli is sponsoring the 49th International Theatre Festival — Biennale Teatro 2021, running from July 2 to 11 in Venice. The designer said on Monday he will hold the house’s fall 2021-22 couture collection at the Gaggiandre at the Arsenale in Venice.

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As reported, the livestreamed show is to take place on July 15 at 7.30 p.m. CET.

The Gaggiandre consists of two shipyards with a large internal dock, built between 1568 and 1573 and attributed to Jacopo Sansovino. It is part of the Arsenale, which hosts the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions and the International Dance, Music and Theatre Festivals of La Biennale di Venezia.

To respect the landmark location, the show will feature only a functional set-up, without any architectural intervention to the venue.

“I have challenged myself in orchestrating a symphony of different souls, minds and creative inputs,” Piccioli said in May when he divulged the location. “All of these energies drove my vision to Venice. This city genuinely and spontaneously generates vibrations on art, theater, music, architecture, cinema and everything that has to do with creativity. That is why it has been a natural decision to go for this idea. I am a designer, a fashion creator and I need to envision my creations in specific frames. Venice is the frame of the Valentino Des Ateliers collection.”

In the wake of the decision to stop using fur, Valentino is further committing to the environment as it will produce a special visual streaming kit to experience the fashion show. In accordance with the international standard ISO 20121, this kit is made with paper and cardboard from sustainably managed forest sources and hand-crafted in Milan.

The brand is progressively integrating plastic alternatives and paper packaging for guests at fashion shows that is entirely plastic free.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused Piccioli to change his plans for the couture line over the past year. In January, it was unveiled digitally.

The show, filmed in Rome, consisted of a presentation conceived by the designer in a dialogue with British artist, musician, singer and songwriter Robert Del Naja, also known as 3D, and a founding member of the band Massive Attack.

To present Valentino’s fall 2020 couture collection, Piccioli in July 2020 staged a live performance at Cinecittà Studios outside Rome.

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